8 Mystery Books About the Day of the Dead

The Miltons are a wealthy family with a limitless hunger for power and money and very limited scruples. They’ve gathered together at a luxury villa to celebrate a wedding anniversary during the weekend of Dia de los Muertos.

On the eve of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, two bodies are found floating in the villa’s pool.

Lily is one of the invited guests, all of whom are harboring secrets. Every guest has been invited for a reason, and everyone is hiding something.

Lily is known to be a struggling actress, but she is secretly working as a private investigator. As the weekend becomes a dangerous web of lies and revenge, it seems no one can be trusted.

Before the weekend is over, someone will kill again to keep their dark secret.

For Rita Lafitte, life is sweet. As the Chef of Tres Amigas Café, her preparations for Santa Fe’s Day of the Dead bread-baking contest are filled with decorating sugar skulls and creating her buttery pan de muerto.

But things change suddenly when her landlord, Victor, is discovered dead next door.

The police investigation concludes Victor’s death is a suicide, but Rita knows that can’t be true. Determined to investigate her friend’s death herself, Rita teams up with her elderly boss, Flori, whose snooping skills are legendary.

With a long list of suspects, deeply buried secrets, and duplicitous neighbors, the pair struggle to make headway, until one of their main suspects ends up dead. Rita suddenly finds herself in danger and time is running out.

Darcy Finnegan, food critic and amateur sleuth, visits beautiful Oaxaca with her best friend and loyal Schnoodle, Mozart. She looks forward to enjoying the local food and culture: marigolds, mezcal, and mole, amid the backdrop of the colorful Day of the Dead Festival.

When a shady American art dealer is found impaled on a sculpture during the Day of the Dead festivities, Darcy is quickly pulled into the investigation.

The murder victim seems to have enemies around the world and a reputation for exploiting local artists. There is also the question of a missing sculpture.

Many suspects begin to emerge—exploited artists, a rival exporter, and a past lover.

Complicating matters further is the sudden appearance of Darcy’s former flame, Interpol undercover agent Marcus Evans. What is his involvement in this case?

Darcy must struggle to untangle the lies and loyalties layered through the art community, the colorful festival, and the customs and traditions of Oaxaca.

This is book eight in the Darcy and Mozart Series.

Tressa Tarango is on a mission of revenge after her husband, Luca, is murdered in the high desert of the Navajo Reservation. Tressa is determined to find his killer and bring peace to his restless soul.

In her search for answers, Tressa must become involved with warring drug cartels who plague the local Diné people. As the cartel and Navajo cultures clash, the mysterious desert southwest becomes a character with its own secrets to tell.

Determined to find answers, Tressa becomes entangled with the spirit of a serial killer, Paul T’Sosi, who whispers to her from a suspended state between life and death. Tressa searches for the path that will ensure Luca’s spirit finds peace in the underworld.

This is book eight in Navajo Nation Mystery Series.

Juliet Henry accepts an invitation from her friend Esteban to attend the Dias de los Muertos celebration in Mirada. She looks forward to the warmth of the family bed and breakfast and the splendor of the festivities with its color, art, music, food, and tradition.

What she did not expect was one of the guests to be found murdered.

Suddenly, all of the surrounding elements of the festival lose their joyful, celebratory nature. The skulls, altars, flowers and masks become chilling reminders that a killer is on the loose and danger is imminent.

Juliet must sort through the motives, lies, and secrets hidden amongst members of the household to expose the killer before another murder takes place.

Charlene Morris, a Bed and Breakfast owner in Salem, is no stranger to the paranormal. She and her spectral companion, Dr. Strathmore, are intrigued by the story Isabella Perez presents to them about her missing sister, Marisol, who was a gifted psychic.

Hopefully, investigating Marisol’s disappearance on Halloween weekend in Salem allows Charlene easy access to contact the departed for answers.

While Jack distrusts Marisol’s fiancé, Rico, there are many viable suspects that might have wished Marisol ill. Charlene attempts to find the truth with help from her beau, Detective Sam Holden, and an otherworldly assist.

Former Sheriff Brandon Walker is not happy with retirement. He misses the sense of purpose that his past career offered.

When The Last Chance Club invites him to join their ranks, he looks forward to being able to feel useful again. The group’s purpose is to review cold cases, and the first case Walker faces is one he was unable to solve years ago.

Young girls are being taken from an orphanage in Mexico. Promised adoptive families in Arizona, they instead face a horrifying fate that ends in death.

Walker must use his lifetime of investigative skills to uncover a serial killer with a list of victims spanning decades.

This is book three of the four-book Walker Family Mysteries.

In the autumn of 1835, Mexico City was a dangerous, lawless place. But when Benjamin January’s friend Hannibal sends him an urgent letter, he and his bride Rose leave their New Orleans home to help him.

Hannibal Sefton is accused of murdering Fernando, the son of wealthy landowner Don Castellón. Benjamin knows his friend isn’t capable of murder, but proving his innocence will be a challenge since there are several suspects and the murder victim’s half-sister is their only ally.

While the village of Mictlán prepares for the Day of the Dead festivities, the grieving father Don Castellón believes the killer will be revealed by the spirit of his dead son. Benjamin and Rose must race to solve the murder before the killer strikes again.